


Milquetoast

by Voido



Category: Persona 5
Genre: 101 percent done ryuji, Art Trade, M/M, akira tries really hard, ann and futaba make bets about them, blinded by art yusuke, but art is too strong in yusuke, poised as fuck akira, prompt, they're all good boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 01:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14683401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voido/pseuds/Voido
Summary: "Two things are infinite: Akira's appeal and Yusuke's thirst for art. And I'm not sure about either, I guess?"- Ryuji, most likely.Ryuji swears there's absolutely no way to distract Yusuke from his love for art, but Akira disagrees - he hasn't been taking these charm-raising baths for nothing, after all!





	Milquetoast

**Author's Note:**

> _OTL, another OT3-fic, isn't that amazing?  
>  The prompt was for Akira to try really hard to charm Yusuke, but failing hard for art reasons.  
> The title has absolutely no relevance other than me using the ingame names for level 3 and level 5 charm and finding milquetoast for level 1 guts to be one of the most hilarious words ever._

“You're not fierce enough, Ryuji. What you need is a bit more _confidence._ ”

It's only Akira's super cocky smile and the way he stretches each syllable that cause Ryuji to propose the challenge –  _really!_

“Oh, do I? Well, how 'bout you teach me your ways then, _leader_?!”

Just like always, it's a rather mindless challenge, although he can't say that it's one he'd be necessarily proud of, if anyone asked. They're on their way to Kosei, following Yusuke's request to model for him. It's nothing new, they do that on a regular basis, either together or just one of them, if the other is busy. The whole thing has became natural, although Ryuji won't deny that sometimes, he still has his fair share of trouble with sitting still in the weird positions Yusuke asks him to be in.

Today, though, is quite a bit different. They've just had a fair share of talk about how, if you ask Ryuji, Yusuke is absolutely un-swoonable.

“ _You could probably suck the dude off and he wouldn't even fuckin' look at ya.”_

Akira – poised, confident and extra as he always is – disagrees. Apparently, at least so he says, all it needs is a little more determination on the matter, a tad more skill on the execution, and just a slight bit of the right mood to start off with.

So while they're on their way to Kosei as always, they're actually on their way to the utter embarrassment of at least one of them and the sheer disappointment of at least one of their friends. Ann  bets  five-hundred  Y en on Akira –  _I've seen him crossdress, Ryuji. I have_ witnessed _his power! -_ while Futaba  bets the same amount on Ryuji –  _If you learn a thing while collaborating on smutty_ _dōjin_ _shi_ _with Inari, then it's the fact that he has as much Eros in himself as an old, moldy banana peel._

Why they even know about the debate? Yeah, Ryuji wonders that, too, actually, but he figures it does make sense since Futaba has Akira's phone bugged and all. Doesn't make it any better, though, except for the fact that if – _when_ – Akira fails, Futaba will probably be recording that, too.

They arrive with that smug characteristic smile still spread on Akira's face, and Ryuji – while still heavily convinced that he will be the winner in all this – can't help but get a bit anxious. Hell, screw Ann. _He_ has seen Akira crossdress. _He_ has witnessed his power, and it certainly is far beyond anything he knows.

“Ah, you have made it on time for once. How splendid.”

Yusuke's voice goes down like oil, he'll most likely never let it go that Akira and Ryuji used to run late because they ended up racing each other around the city block, but the slim smile on his lips looks honest enough, and he leads them into the otherwise empty study.

“Fortunately, the other students have already returned to their dorms. It will most likely leave the place to us.”

That doesn't exactly make things any easier, but then again, would other students nearby truly stop Akira? Ryuji strongly doubts it, so maybe it's better that they're alone.

“Well then, today's motif will be – _rest_. Both of you shall display the calming nature of dwelling in the comforting presence of a beloved.”

He sighs. If only Yusuke could say things simply, something like _sit in silence and don't move_ , but no, he has to make it sound fancy and special and give it a mysterious, tricky, pressuring vibe. Sometimes, Ryuji can't help but wonder who would claim an award of extra-ness – Yusuke, for his uncopyable attitude, his extravagant vocabulary and his sheer mad focus on _pure_ and _aesthetic_ art; or Akira, for…literally pretty much everything, starting with the fact that he wears glasses _for fashion_ and is good friends with a goddamn politician and a former Yakuza member.

To Ryuji's surprise, Akira obeys the request immediately, sitting down in their usual spot – which apparently has the best lighting for Yusuke to depict his motifs – and seemingly already trying to find a fitting position for them. Ryuji's reluctant, but eventually moves over as well and sits down, too, leaning in just enough for their shoulders to touch; he genuinely enjoys any kind of physical attention, although he always squints at Ann when she dares to point it out mockingly.

They sit like that for quite a while, facing each other enough to share one or the other look, and if Ryuji didn't adore him so much, he'd love to punch the shit-eating, smug smile out of Akira's face. He's confident, even though so far, he hasn't even so much as _tried_ to even just _set a mood_ , so what's he cocky for?!

“Don't ya go thinkin' ya can get outta this by just not even tryin',” Ryuji starts quietly, well aware that Yusuke will call them out for disturbing his _artistic peace_ if they bicker loudly. It's happened more than once, after all.

“I would never.” Akira's voice is just as quiet, a little calmer, a little more pleasant, while he dares to disrupt their display but putting an arm around Ryuji's shoulder and raising his voice: “Isn't this a much more fitting pose, actually?”

Yusuke raises a perfect eyebrow skeptically, looks at them and then his canvas, back again and leans back a little, sighing audibly.

“No, I am afraid that neither works. Something about the two of you feels quite off today. I would appreciate it greatly if you could change that.”

The best part about it is how he doesn't even try to sound like he's in any way joking – no, he means it precisely like that. If there's something not working out in his art, he tries the wildest things to fix it, including telling his models to work on their chakra or something, and really, if Ryuji knew how, he would, but he's simply confused and sighs as well.

Luckily – unluckily? - they have Akira, the absolute and entire source of sass and slyness, and he already has this self-indulgent smile glued to his face when he dramatically lifts his arm and gets up like a princess in dismay, pats Ryuji's head slightly and _apparently_ finally goes to make his move. Because there he is, already on his way towards a clueless Yusuke who himself is still aggressively staring at his unfinished piece of art as if that changed a thing, and entirely ignores the initially casual touch on _his_ head, slim fingers trailing through soft hair, trying to shift his mind elsewhere.

Ryuji's extremely torn between cold sweat and hysterical laughter.

He watches both of these super-extra dorks stare at the drawing for quite a while, but it doesn't take long until Akira seemingly gets bored of waiting.

“I don't see how it's flawed, but maybe what you need is some…mental support? Something to ease your mind?”

He's _purring_ , murmuring, lowering his head so he can whisper in Yusuke's ear, he's trying _so goddamn hard_ and it's both vicariously embarrassing and breathtakingly _hot_ to watch.

But it _is_ Yusuke, and _oh hell_ is he not giving a flying fuck about Akira's advances; he doesn't even so much as put his brush down or turn his head. Not the touches, not the sinful sweet-talk, not the fact that Akira is most likely the most attractive person in the cosmos if he wants to be, none if it stands even a _chance_ against the power of _oblivious starving artist caught in frustration_ Yusuke, and Ryuji can't help but chuckle. It's not like he hasn't warned Akira – because he _has_ , that's in fact the sole reason they're having this competition here – and it's just a bit too good to watch.

But it wouldn't be Akira if he gave up now, and needless to say, he goes further than that. It starts with the touches getting less casual, a little more demanding, and Ryuji considers taking pictures for future reference, but instead focuses on biting his lower lip hard enough to not crack up. Yusuke raises an eyebrow, looks at Akira for approximately a quarter second, frowns and looks back at the canvas, shifts his weight a bit to the side where Akira is _not_ nibbling on his ear, and entirely ignores the action other than that, reaches for his sketchbook on the floor and starts doodling on that for some sort of good measure, most likely.

Just when Ryuji's about to ask Akira to give up – because really, he absolutely can't take the cringe anymore, it's like an accident; you want to look away but you can't, you want to help but you can't, you want to stop it in any kind of way _but you can't-_

“Fine then.”

There's a kind of dissatisfaction in Akira's voice, some sort of annoyance, as if he actually can't believe that someone resists his charm – and, really, Ryuji _almost_ can't believe it either! - but again, this is Akira, and he's not one to back down from a challenge, so it's not much of a surprise that he forces himself on Yusuke more, sits on his lap suggestively and gets _very_ handsy. Any remotely sane person would be sold at this point, and for a second there, Ryuji thinks Yusuke might break – there's interest; he's sketching, sure, but his eyes _definitely_ search for Akira's, there's some sort of tension, a force, a sparkle-

But then Yusuke just harrumphs loudly.

“I must ask you to hold still for your constant shifting gives me a hard time depicting your graceful beauty!”

It's too much, _way_ too much, Ryuji bursts into a fit of laughter, tears stream down his face and the fact that Akira goes dead-silent and unmoving doesn't help at all.

“So much for that debonair charm, _Joker._ ”

But it wouldn't be a normal day in their life if Ryuji didn't get called out as well:

“I wouldn't think you should be the one to say that, for yours could be described as _suave_ at best. And that's being generous.”

_Damn you, Yusuke._

“Sh-shut up! I have other qualities!”

And damn, does he get called out _badly-_

“Oh? But do you have the guts to come over here and _prove_ that?”

_Damn you, Akira._


End file.
